Uncertainty
by Wing-edZenith
Summary: When she was hunting, Valerie thought she was unstoppable. But when she is injured in a fight with Skulker, she has to trust on the one she thought she hated but, there's more than one secret in the cobwebs.
1. The Fight

**Well, here is the sequel to Untrusted. Now, before that chases you away, you actually probably don't need to read the first one to understand this one, though it would add to it. **

**What you need to know: Danny's parents know his secret and Vlad is in the Ghost Zone prison (They know about his ghost half too). I will try to add details for memory sakes and such throughout, without drawing on too much. **

**This takes place after _Ultimate Enemy_, but before _Flirting With Disaster_. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing that may appear in this story. I am simply a fan who needs somewhere to practice writing.**

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It was a cloudy night, one on which the weatherman, Lance Thunder, had predicted, rain. The moon, though it was full in the sky, was covered with dark rain clouds, threatening to let loose their baggage.

A red clad figure roared past on a jet sled, keeping pace with her prey, a ghost in a high-tech metal suit. She shifted a bazooka onto her shoulder, looking for a good shot.

Just at that moment, the ghost turned, drawing two green glowing blades from his suit.

"Damn." The hunter muttered through her helmet as she slammed on the brakes.

"Red hunter," The ghost proclaimed, "Give up this pursuit so I, the ghost zone's greatest hunter! can take you as my prey."

"Like you ever could!" Valerie shouted, taking aim with the bazooka and shooting at the spook.

Skulker lifted his two blades before him, using them as a shield to fight the blast back. Swinging the two blades to the side, he caused the blast to fly out of sight. Then, he flew straight at Valerie, blades at his sides.

Valerie dodged the attack, working to get her bazooka away as she retrieved a small cylindrical object from her belt. Pressing a button on the object, it elongated into a staff, which she pulled into two pieces, matching her opponent with two weapons of her own.

The two faced off before the ghost took the first move, driving head on. Valerie, anticipating such a move from the hunter, moved her weapons before her, setting herself firmly on her flier.

Skulker drove both blades in from the sides, both of which were parried by the red huntress. He then pulled his foot out, pushing it behind the girl's knees, disrupting her balance.

Falling to her knees, Valerie pushed off with her hands, bringing her feet above her head to kick Skulker in the face. Dazed for a moment, the ghost floated backwards, dropping slightly in altitude.

Catching her balance, (Along with her breath), Valerie looked around her for the phantom, turning lightly on her toes.

Suddenly, here was a dash of motion as Skulker, appearing out of nowhere from above, dive bombed his prey. He landed on her flier as they squared off, their weapons locking on each other's.

Skulker pushed Valerie's weapons wide, coming in between for a blow. The huntress took a step back to avoid the attack, bringing a weapon up awkwardly to block the attack. She then brought her other around, trying to get past the ghost's defenses, but he grabbed her wrist, jarring her forward.

"This hunt has reached its end." He said triumphantly as he held a blade to the huntress's throat.

"That's what you think." Valerie muttered, working her foot backwards in search for a button. Finding it, she pressed down, the jet sled instantly retracting, sending the two spiraling downwards.

Skulker activated the jets on the back of his armor, taking flight. Below him, Valerie continued to fall to the ground, her back making a hard introduction with the grass.

Groaning, the red hunter gripped her two weapons as she got to her feet. Her back was screaming in pain as she dashed into the nearby woods, looking for cover. She leaned up against a tall pine, trying to catch her second wind.

Then, her watch started to beeping, signaling the self proclaimed greatest hunter was closing in on her position. She groaned again, running through the shadows.

Then, out of nowhere, as ghosts often do, Skulker appeared, his blades crossed before him.

"You have run for too long child." He swiped both blades down.

Valerie, exhaustion taking its toll, lifted her weapons before her, barely able to hold back the attack before the ghost took on his second one.

She once again lifted into the air as she brought out her flier once again; the four weapons continuing to _clang_ through the otherwise still night as they gained altitude.

Skulker took firm footing on Valerie's flier as he pushed her backwards, a repeat of beforehand, though he made sure to watch her feet.

His hands flew, working the huntress's weapons up in a complicated maneuver. The tired girl worked hard to keep up, watched to see where this was going. Suddenly, the direction of the swords changed direction, working downwards.

Valerie, her face tense with concentration didn't see the trap until it was too late. She worked to parry the blow, throwing down both swords in a cross-down parry.

Skulker grinned, knowing the parry would leave the girl wide open for an attack.

But Valerie had other plans, she lifted her foot, bringing it between the blades and kicking Skulker in the face. The attack shocked the ghost so much his footing was quickly lost and he flew off the edge of the flier as Valerie sent another kick to his stomach.

Skulker let loose an unearthly growl, holding his head as his actual, small, frog-like body readjusted. His eyes flared, this hunt had gone on long enough. Lifting himself even with Valerie once again with his jets, Skulker held his two blades at his sides.

"I will say it once again. This hunt is finished. Your pelt will felt at the foot of my bed by the end of this night!" His voice was rough as he raised his blades, his jets loading to their full speed.

Valerie opened her eyes wide, never having seen the ghost in such an outrage. Knowing she had gone too far in this fight, though that was what she had wanted… _a fight_… She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.

Skulker charged once again, his blades flying at a furious speed. Valerie, her exhaustion really beginning to take its toll, was starting to slow, and was unable to keep up with the attacks.

A blade ran hard against her side, cutting through the red material of her suit. Screaming in pain, she tried to protect the area as another attack came across her thigh, digging deep into the muscle.

She fell to her knees, her defenses still trying to keep up as she fretted over what to do. The hilt of one of Skulker's blades then hit her head, and though she was wearing a helmet, blackness began to swarm her vision. She fought hard to keep it clear, but suddenly she felt a knee in her stomach, followed by the unmistakable feeling of falling.

Cold arms wrapped around the huntress, stopping her falling. She groaned, feeling sick. Shivers went up her spine before she passed out.

* * *

Danny Phantom, dressed in his usual black jump suit, ran a gloved hand through his silver hair as he shadowed the battle between Valerie and Skulker. It had been going on for the past hour and, though Valerie had held the upper hand for the most part, she was beginning to tire, and Danny, even though when she was in hunter mode she hated him, was worried for his friend.

It had been several months since the incident with his future self and Vlad, who, hadn't been heard of since he had been captured by Walker, the Ghost Zone's warden, and taken to prison. Danny's ghost hunting had stayed the same, apart from the now almost hourly phone calls from two worried parents, wondering who he was facing off against at late hours of the nights.

His parents did help him by his side with the ghost hunting now, though, his father, with his bad aim, could be more of a hindrance than Jazz, especially when it came to the final step of capturing the ghosts in the thermos. But, for the most part, the Fenton family was would be considered a story of, "The family that hunts ghosts together-"

Suddenly, the battle Danny was keeping a close eye on took a twist, with the ghost gaining the upper hand as anger coursed through him. Valerie fell from her flier, causing Danny's green eyes to widen as he flew forward, able to see even from such a far distance how injured she was.

Danny caught his friend, feeling her shiver in his arms, most likely from the loss of so much blood.

Skulker practically smiled at his appearance, "Ah. Ghost child, I wondered when you'd make an appearance."

Danny pulled the thermos over his head, more worried about his friend than banter with the ghost. But Skulker had other plans as he threw something at Danny.

The something suddenly exploded, sending Danny, Valerie still tight in his arms, crashing downwards. He felt a tingle, like a spider crawling over his body, as he threw open the thermos, activating it before Skulker was out of range.

The Ghost fought as it was pulled into the cylindrical container, but was unable to resist the tug of the device.

Just then, Danny and Valerie crashed through a roof, crash landing among a pile of boxes.

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**Now, here's your trick question. Can any of you find my reference (From what book/series?) in the fight scene? **

**Well, that's it for now! Please review and comment away! The more I get, the more you do. **

Did anyone else have trouble logging in and uploading documents today? Getting this up was not fun. Tosay the least.

**Ghost-Wolf676 out! **


	2. Trapped

**So, Her's the next chapter which I really worked hard to get up for ya'll before I left for Camp. (Four days of being a couselor and singing Wizard of Oz songs!) I really don't know how this turned out thoughm, consideringthe firsthalf of it was done while I was trying to learn VBS songs and the other half while watching Blade... hummm...Please Enjoy!**

**And Go NNF for figuring out that the reference was Drizzt Do'Urden, From R.A. Salvatore's books. Got it right down to the EXACT book (_Homeland_) and that its the fight with Zaknafein... Whoot! -Cookie-**

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Danny groaned, trying to take breath, though with Valerie on top of him, along with getting the wind knocked out of him in the crash, his lungs had to work to get minimal air. He closed his green eyes, holding onto his friend's shoulder's gently as he moved slowly and deliberately into a sitting position.

He then began to work his legs out from under hers; scared out of his mind at how much he was having to move her and how much blood he could see from both cuts on her side and on her thigh.

Carefully, with slow and deliberate motions, he removed her helmet, spotting instantly with a grimace, a large bump on the hunter girl's temple already forming. Danny carefully set Valerie's head on the floor, standing up and doing a quick survey of himself, no where near as thorough as he had done in his concern for the hurt huntress before him, to make sure no bones and such had been broken, _'Mom would kill me if I came home with another broken arm...'_ he thought with a grimace at the thought.

Now he took time to scan the dark room, including the giant hole in the ceiling directly above them courtesy of the two teen's fall. He cringed at the owners soon to be reaction to seeing the new sky light as his green eyes then went searching for a light switch. Finding one next to a closed doorway, the ghostly teen walked over to it, flipping it into an upward position. Above, rows of flickering lights came to life, illuminating what was obviously a storage room, filled to the ceiling with boxes, organized neatly on shelves.

Danny couldn't help but think of the heaven the room would be to a certain blue, short, box obsessed ghost...

Danny's observations were brought to a halt as he remembered his friend, her injuries quite series, the cuts leaking blood onto the once clean concrete floor. The teen suddenly went into overdrive; floating up to the shelves and throwing them open one after the other, looking for something to stop the flow of blood with.

Suddenly, Danny fell from his invisible perch, though he was able to catch himself on his feet with little difficulty. His eyebrows ferrying in confusion, he floated back up, though his search was much more important than a moment's loss of power.

Discarding boxes full of ketchup containers and salt packets, he ran a gloved hand through his hand, working open another box. He smiled at his find, picking up the box, stuffed to its lid with napkins as he flew back to Valerie, taking generous hand fulls and applying them to both wounds with as much pressure as he dared.

"Come on..." He muttered, throwing away the handful and going for another one when a hand reached out, grabbing his.

Having not noticed Valerie had gained consciousness, Danny jumped slightly, his bright, glowing green eyes locking with her glaring blue-greens ones.

"What do you think you're doing _ghost_?" The huntress practically spat at finding him so close to her.

"I'm trying to save your life!" Danny protested, taking his arm out of his hand and going for the napkins, trying to reapply pressure to the wounds.

"I don't need someone like _you_ to be saving my life." Valerie jerked backwards, away from Danny's reach. But the jerking motion split pain down both of the cuts, and burst sparks in front of her eyes as if her brain rattled around in her skull. The intense pain caused Valerie to cry out in anguish, biting her lip.

"That says otherwise..." Danny couldn't help but to point out, trying to get closer to help, but Valerie growled, looking at him with hatred.

The two stared off, one looking with concern, while the other glowered with anger at the events of the evening.

Nothing could have make the night worse... Nothing other than Lance Thunder's prediction of rain coming true. It fell through the hole in the ceiling, instantly drenching the two, along with the box of napkins Danny had so happily found.

Danny instantly stood up, stretching out a hand for Valerie, who looked at it in disgust. "I don't need your help." She protested, working her way slowly upwards.

Only to find herself making a quick direction change.

Danny acted on reflex, taking the dark haired girl around the shoulders. "Can't you at least trust y to let me get you out of the rain?"

"Out of the rain... into the fire... Why'd you care?"

The boy could have screamed if it would have done any use, but he kept silent, helping the girl out of the rain and, from there continuing to the door, throwing it open.

And coming to the dark emptiness of the Nasty Burger, devoid of all its usual liveliness of the daytime. Danny flicked on another light switch, working Valerie toward a booth.

"There, you've gotten me out of the rain," The girl glared, "Now you can go on your way _ghost_."

Each time she spat that word at him, reminding him of what he was, that he was not fully human, Danny wanted to scream again, instead he asked, "Where's the first-aid kit?"

"What?"

The ghost walked around to the counter, determined that if she didn't tell him, he'd find it himself, "You work here, Valerie. Where'd the first-aid kit?"

"Don't you _dare _call me by my name. You're not my friend." She paused, running a hand over the throbbing cut along her side, pulling her hand away, covered with blood, before continuing in defeat, "It's in the cabinet under the register, check behind the box of copy receipts..." She paused before thinking in the coldness of the evening, "And get some damn towels, they're in the cabinet next to that..."

From her directions, Danny easily found the kit and the towels, walking back to Valerie and, without really asking for permission, beginning to bandage the deep cut along her thigh and wrapping a towel around her shoulders.

Danny pulled the bandage tight as he finished, though Valerie fought a wince, not wanting to show her pain to the ghost.

"So what are you doing? Following me around?"

Confusion crossed the white haired boy's face.

"Don't act dumb. You said you know I work here. How?"

That confusion instantly turned to nervousness as he tried to explain, wishing he hadn't let that information slip through, "...Well..."

Valerie rolled her eyes, "Oh forget it ghost, whatever you say will most likely be a lie anyways..."

Danny tugged a bandage across the cut on Valerie's abdomen, continuously repeating the action downwards until it was covered.

"There." He said as a finale, standing up and retreating across the empty restaurant to an empty booth, picking up a towel for himself as he went, shivering in the cold air, positioned directly across from Valerie.

"Why don't you just leave?" Valerie's glare could burn through the thickest wall, though Danny was unfazed, as he sat looking through the window, raising his eyebrows at the question.

Outside, the windcould only be described as atorrent, howling as loud as it wished. Rain drops pounded against the large windows, a whole drum line of beats, out of sync, as if the metronome the band was using was in desperate need of repair.

"I am not one to battle against the elements." He simply chose to state, though his real answer lay along the lines of his worry for her health. What if she needed to go to the hospital? Certainly the girl wouldn't agree to him calling an ambulance, and if it was needed, a flight there would be quicker anyways.

Valerie, by the look on her face, was no where close to believing a story such as that. Conspiracies began to cross her mind, beginning with how he must know her life, thus how he knew how he worked here, so that he could slowly chop it away one by one. Then, it lead to why he was here, with his presence taunting her how it was, just trying to remind her how little she could do in the state she was in.

She took a deep breath, feeling the rising and lowering pain at her side, the bandages constricting her breathing. That too was instantly taken into being thoughtless on the ghost boy's account, after all, why would _he_ have considered _her_ breathing into the matter...

Suddenly, the girl's inside mutterings were cut off by a ringing, followed by a startled curse word from across the room.

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**Now, I'm off to camp, and maybe if you're good and I get plenty of reviews, i'll try and review soon after I get home? Hmm? So, review and comment away everyone! Please!**

**And Note: In a few weeks, I believe i'm thinking about chaning my name, I just haveto decide on exactly WHAT... maybe something will hit me at camp!**

**Ghost-Wolf676 out!**


	3. Help Arives

**You know, being so busy and everything and concentrating on other stories, books, school and everything I haven't had time to even think about this story. For that I am extremely sorry, but I hope this long needed update is okay for everyone out there who has been asking for it.**

**So, please enjoy and pester me about another update ^_^**

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Maddie Fenton checked her watch again for the fifth time in the past twenty minutes as she paced about her living room. Watching her on a large couch, her daughter, Jazz, sat with a large psychology book. But, the younger of the two women had no interest in reading that night, instead she watched over the top edge of her book, her turquoise eyes following her mother's every move.

"Mom. Sit down. There is no reason to get yourself upset when you know he'll be home."

Maddie paused, looking at her daughter, "I know he will be home, but that does not stop me from worrying. We have curfews in this house for a reason, and ghost hunting or not, your brother needs to at least _pretend_ he cares about following them."

"Yes, but putting all of these rules can have a tendency to spark rebellion. As I have been reading, we each go through a series of stages in our lives involving conflict and resolution. At this point, it just seems that Danny is filling his life with _conflict_ and which he will eventually overcome… Danny's life is just a very literal example of this…"

"I'm still going to call." The red haired woman pulled a new cell phone, complete with a new set of six ghost weapons!, from her pocket. She began to dial her son's number, wishing he would get home as she listened to the storm grow.

* * *

Meanwhile, across town in the almost deserted Nasty Burger, Danny was fiddling through his pockets, trying to find the device who's ringing might just blow his cover.

"Why don't I leave this thing on silent?!" Danny muttered angrily.

Finally, finding it just as he wished _again_ that he'd put the cell on silent, the white haired ghost-boy flipped the phone open.

"Hello?" He whispered, trying to face away from Valerie's prying eyes.

There was a long pause as Danny listened to his mother's scream that he needed to get home. Now. Ghost or no ghost.

"I. can't. I'm stuck" He tried to talk as quietly as possible.

"No, I'm not hurt, but Valerie is…" He spoke again after another silence.

The ghost boy sighed, rolling his eyes at the phone, "But- I tried to move her, she won't let me get near her."

As Danny tried to explain the situation, across the room, in another booth, Valerie was trying to lean forward and listen. _A phone? Since when would a ghost have a phone? And who would be calling him anyways? Not to mention, who would he need to talk to, another ghost?_

As she continued to lean forward, she bent the wrong way and hissed from the pain in her side.

Danny's head snapped around as he noticed that Valerie was trying to listen in on his phone call. He cupped his hand over the mouthpiece, speaking bellow the ghost hunter's hearing range, "can you just… help or something? I can't leave until-"

He was cut off at a loud protest on the other side of the line, "I know I'm past my curfew!" he emphasized his whisper, still trying to keep his voice low while he now watched Valerie from his peripheral vision.

He closed the phone after another protest from the phone and looked up at Valerie, slowing putting his phone back in its pocket.

From across the restaurant, Danny could practically feel Valerie's glare as she tried to prove the statement _if looks could kill_. "A _phone_?.. _Ghost_, what are you playing at?"

A nervous look crossed Danny's face as he slipped his hand behind his head, running his hand through his hair in his usual nervous habit. "I got it as a present from a fan," he lied, "besides, I don't think it's your business."

"You _are_ my business _ghost_. Understanding you so that I can capture you!" The anger across her face was obvious as she started to stand up, reaching for a small ectogun on her belt. But, just as she stood up, Valerie fell, landing painfully on her knees instead of the bench.

Danny jumped up, his want to help her betraying his common sense.

"_Stay away from me ghost!"_ Valerie screamed as the other teen began to approach. She reached behind her, grabbing the red bench and slowly pulling herself back onto it and into a sitting position.

From the middle of the restaurant, Danny watched, unsure of what to do. He could just leave, but with that open gash on her side and the continually worse storm, he was afraid to leave and get help, knowing it would be hard for any normal vehicle to get to the fast-food restaurant in this weather.

* * *

Maddie angrily pushed her phone back onto its loop on her utility belt. She walked across her living room, grabbing her jacket and car keys. "I'm going to get your brother." She stated, beginning to leave.

"What?!" Jazz jumped off the couch, her book landing with a loud _thud_ on the floor. "Have you noticed the weather? It's dangerous out there!"

"Yes, but your brother has gotten himself in a… situation."

Jazz rushed to meet her mother, grabbing her jacket, "Well, don't even _think_ you are going without me."

* * *

"When are you going to leave _Phantom_?" Valerie glared, "Shouldn't you be other there torturing children or something now that I'm out of the way?"

Danny sighed, taking a second to formulate a correct phrasing for his answer, "I'm not leaving until the weather begins to clear," then, seeing the red hunter's unbelieving head shake, he continued, "By then an ambulance can come to pick you up. It's just important that you aren't alone and moving while you are injured!"

"Any why should you care?"

Danny practically growled, not even bothering to answer as his phone rang again.

* * *

Jazz called her brother as her mother drove fast down the streets of Amity Park, especially for the horrible weather, the giant wheels of the Fenton Ghost Assault Vehicle just barely making it through the growing puddles.

As he picked up, Jazz explained the situation, "We're coming to get Valerie," She paused, listening to Danny say something about this looking suspicious to Valerie if they suddenly showed up. "I know! But you'll want to get out of there so she doesn't get suspicious! Just phase out and come to the RV!"

She closed her phone, hoping her brother got the message.

Maddie slammed on her brakes, sloshing through a giant puddle as she stopped in the middle of the Nasty Burger restaurant's parking lot. "We're going to have to run!" She shouted to her daughter over the growing wind. Jazz nodded, pulling her hood up and zipping her jacket up to its top.

The two women rushed to the Nasty Burger, practically running through the front door to get inside. Once there, they meet a wide eyed Valerie, but no one else.

"What are you doing here?" She questioned as the two newcomers came toward her.

Slightly flustered, Maddie began trying to check the girl's wounds, knowing instantly she had to get the girl to the hospital- and quick and voicing the same notion.

Realizing her mother wasn't going to answer, Jazz tried to make a cover story, "We saw the light from inside, Mom was out doing a last minute patrol, y-you'd never guess the ghosts who come out in this weather."

Valerie narrowed her eyes, suspicious of this answer. _Since when has Jazz been interested enough in ghosts to go out patrolling with her mother in _this_ type of weather?_ But then she nodded, accepting the answer.

"Come on, we're going to get you to the hospital." Maddie began to help the teen up, as she tried to carry most of Valerie's weight. The girl couldn't stop herself from gasping in pain as Maddie helped her to the door.

Jazz rushed forward, opening the glass doors for the two. Then, as soon as the two got outside, she rushed toward the RV, wanting to get the door opened for them as soon as she could. But just as her hand hit the door handle, it slid backwards and she met the light blue eyes of her brother, now in human form.

"Come on!" He rushed her, pulling her inside. Right behind them, Maddie and Valerie limped along, moving as quickly as they could, even though it was quite slow. Danny reached his hands out from the RV, helping his mother get Valerie into the car.

Once she was in the car, Danny helped her to a seat, making sure she wasn't getting worse.

"Danny?" She whispered, as she was getting worse and slowly becoming dreary from blood loss.

"Just get her to hold on and stay awake for a few more minutes Danny." Maddie shouted from the front seat, rushing the RV out of the parking lot and toward the hospital.

Danny repeated his mothers words to his injured friend, "Just hold on, we're going to get you some help."

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**Whoo! And it's done! I hope you all enjoyed and please give me some feedback!**

**Just a question, I have been getting a different feeling in my writing between this and my other story **_**Metamorphous Memoir. **_** Do any of you feel the same or see a slightly different style? Or am I just imagining it.**

**Sorry for the lateness, but you know the drill! Until next time!**


	4. The Rescue

**I know, please be shocked and amazed at this turn of events…**

**But not this one… I still own nothing… how depressing**

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"_Hold on. We'll get you some help."_

As Valerie climed into the Fenton Ghost Assault Vehicle, her body suddenly became heavy, more tired than she had expected. She felt herself be lowered to the ground and held there securely as the doors were slammed closed and the large car began to move.

She stared upwards, seeing it was Danny who held her still, weak form. She should have left for a hospital as soon as she saw how hurt she was, or called for help. _Damn_ _stubborn streak_. A subconscious voice spoke in her ear, suspiciously reminiscent of her father's disapproving tone.

"_We're almost there. Hold on."_ Maddie Fenton's voice spoke, strong and sure, from where she drove, but it sounded distant, as though Valerie's entire head had been pushed under water.

Valerie held onto those words as the GAV bumped through the rain, the harsh slams of the raindrops pelting the windshield becoming more soothing as the drive went along, the cruving of the GAV's motion feeling more like a rocking, telling her to sleep.

Then, Valerie felt herself be shaken lightly, but enough to jar her from a light slumber.

"_Don't let her sleep… _" Came a that same, distant voice from the front of the vehicle before she tuned it out, looking up at the gray ceiling, concentrating on not giving into the sudden, gasping pains that were seeping across her entire body. "_She probably has a concussion…"_

* * *

Danny held Valerie, following his mother's instructions to keep her awake as she did not know how badly the girl had been hurt, whether she had a concussion from the fall, or if it could be anything worse.

He snapped his fingers in front of Valerie's eyes every time they tried to close, _if it will help in the long run…_ and was just snapping them again as his mother slammed on the brakes, arriving at Amity Park General Medical's ER.

Immediately Jazz was running through the double doors, grabbing the closest nurse she could find for help. Maddie pushed open the back door, looking from her son, to Valerie's bruised and bleeding form, and back to the hospital.

"What's taking so long?" Danny all but demanded, seconds before a stretcher and an emergency staff rushed out of the hospital doors.

Immediately it was as though the world had turned up the volume and doubled the speed. Hands flew everywhere, demands just as quickly following them as Danny was rushed to the side, into his mother's waiting arms and Valerie was loaded onto the stretcher. The emergency team ran into the hospital, still at a record breaking speed as mother and son hurried to keep up.

The stretcher continued into the back of the hospital, the stampeding mass of doctors continuing to evaluate her condition.

Danny looked forlornly at the door before to where his mother and sister were already in the waiting room, preparing for a long wait through the night. But, instead of joining them, Danny pulled out his cell phone, he had an important, if painful, phone call to make...

_

* * *

_

Ring… Ring… Ring…

The apartment was dark, through the rain and night. And, at 12:00 at night, Damon Gray was hardly expecting phone calls. As he searched in vain for a light switch, only to give up and stumble, blindly through his living room, the middle-aged man had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Damon Gray." He said gruffly, there was no reason for pleasantries in the middle of the night.

"Hello? Mr. Gray? T-this is Daniel Fenton." A long pause followed the name, "I-I'm a friend of Valerie's and I thought you might want to hear it from me… i-instead of someone else…"

He cut off again, but his tone was unmistakable. Bile filled Damon's gut as he listened to Danny continue to ramble on for a few minutes before cutting the young man off.

"Danny, please, calm down… Can you repeat what you were saying slowly?" He spoke far calmer than he felt.

"It's Valerie… She's been hurt… My m-mom has taken her to Amity Medical… She's in the ER now…"

Damon's eyes grew wide, it was worse than he had expected. _The hospital_? He knew that darn ghost hunting business would eventually get her into trouble but… _The hospital?_

Shaking, the single father set the coat down, going into autopilot as he grabbed his car keys from where they hung by the door and just barely registering that he had put on a jacket before he was out the door, thundering down the roads, despite the risk to his own life as the gale threatened his small vehicle. He had to get to his daughter… She was all he had.

* * *

Danny went back to sit with his mother, shoving his phone closed with a definite _snap_. He didn't like that him telling Mr. Gray would cause the worried parent to most likely rush out in the horrible weather but, better for him to hear it now than to get a phone call from a nurse or thoughtless intern.

The tired teen closed his eyes, preparing himself to wait for a very long time.

* * *

In the back, it was looking like it would be a long, intensive surgery for the Miss. Valerie Gray although the hospital was rushing through its nightly routine, one doctor was just getting the call to rush into surgery for the young woman.

The Doctor had been rushed away from her break, reading the latest _Medical Journal Monthly_ and drinking coffee from _Java Hut_ when her beeper went off. Now, Dr. Angelina Stevenson, 3rd year resident, top of her class, who was now working extra night shifts at Amity Medical just to make ends meet was staring down, shaking her head in dismay as she did not like the bruise that was forming on the young girl's abdomen and knew that there was most likely internal bleeding.

"Jacobson, prepare for surgery, and make sure that Joseph is scrubbed and ready 5 minutes ago, this girl needs to be in there." She was just signaling her nurses to get the girl into pre-op, having her wheeled down the aisle and through the final double doors when a hand came an grabbed her shoulder, steering her momentarily away from her patient.

"Excuse me! I have a pa-" Dr. Stevenson was cut off by two steel blue eyes, shock at seeing the owner that they belonged to, the normally outspoken doctor was at a loss of words. "Where?"

"Yes… I know, it is a shock to see someone such as me in a place like this," Vlad Masters, billionare, entroprenour, business giant, said smoothly, "especially seeing as I _disappeared_! A few months ago." His left eye twitched at the small rant.

"But that is beside the point Angelina," he looked her dead in the eyes, "I know that you are one of the top doctors here and that patient you just wheeled in is of high priority to me and my company. Now, it might be in your best interest if she had the best treatment possible while she was here."

Dr. Stevenson nodded her head, _What does Vlad Masters had to do with my patient?_..._None of your business… That's what Stevenson!_ Then aloud, "Not to worry, she will be just fine Mr. Masters."

"As she should be." And he let her go, letting the young doctor get back to the patient as quickly as possible.

As the doctor turned to leave, one thought crossed her mind, _Vlad Masters? Hadn't he been missing for several months? Why was he __here__?_

But…Despite her quandaries into the missing billionarie's sudden reappearance, the thought never even began to cross Dr. Stevenson's mind of where Vlad Masters had come exactly come from, not to mention how he had known so quickly that he was talking care of Valerie Gray in the ER. She also never thought to look back to see him disappear through the back wall, a sly grin across is face.

* * *

Vlad flew out into the alley, grinning as he landed and pulling out a cell phone, despite the late hour. "Yes, Harriet Chin? This is Vlad Master's… I believe you and I have a few words to discuss…"

A few curt replies were and gasps were shot from the other side, but Vlad would not listen, instead he snapped the phone closed. _Better to keep her on her toes until tomorrow_.

After all, now that he had returned, Vlad had some important business to attend to.

* * *

After the urgent emergency, the hospital was relatively still and quiet, as far as emergency rooms go, despite the storm continuing the rage outside. Valerie was quickly rushed in and out of surgery and into a small, bare, white room where she could sleep off the lingering effects of the anesthetics and recover from the night's trauma.

Damion arrived through the storm just as his daughter was wheeled into post-op. Through the doctor's he was able to learn little about her condition, other than medical jargon and nod's of "she will be okay." He too had been sent to wait with the Fentons until Valerie rested and visitors would be allowed in.

The weary father nodded to the three Fentons as he took a seat across from Danny to wait. "Thank You for getting her hear." He spoke to Maddie, who reached across the aisle to counsel to worried father.

"She'll be fine… She is a strong girl."

"Sometimes too strong," the mad mumbled, somewhere deep in his numbed mind knowing that it was Valerie's late-night job made him frustrated at the entire situation. But now, here he was, forced to sit and wait for news.

* * *

"Wha-?"

It wasn't until a few hours later that Valerie fully opened her eyes and slowly comprehended that she was, in fact, in a hospital.

It was two minutes after that that she remembered how she had gotten the injuries that put her here.

With an audible growl-_ghosts_- the girl lay and stare up at the ceiling, vowing revenge on the ecoplasmic wastes of energy that had ruined her life and put here in the hospital.

"Especially that stupid Danny Phantom… Always butting in… What was he doing there in the first place?"

Valerie tightened and untightened her fists in frustration, knowing she was stuck here for a while and, from the numbness throughout her body covering what she expected to be horrifying pain, she would be out of commission on the ghost hunting front as well.

So here she was, stuck and frustrated, her anger at the ghosts that had put her in this situation just bottled up inside.

**

* * *

**

Alright, slowly but surely, another chapter done.

**So… here the big questions right… What is going to happen with all of Valerie's anger? And where the heck did Vlad come from anyways? To be answered next time!**

**Wing-edZenith**


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